So apparently, the Cleveland Browns have not made up their minds who to draft with the first pick next week. According to NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread, there are still four signal callers who are in play with the Browns, either with the first of fourth pick in the Draft. Head coach Hue Jackson.
Coach Hue Jackson said Tuesday that the draft’s four top-rated quarterbacks — Darnold of USC, Allen of Wyoming, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, are still in play for the club’s selection at the top of the draft, per the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
“If there was a consensus (general manager) John (Dorsey) had come to, he would’ve told me,” Jackson said. “That’s not the case.”
While the team may do its due diligence until the last minute before the Browns are on the clock, Hue Jackson will be the man asked to prepare the rookie signal caller to play in the NFL. Last season, the Browns and Jackson drafted Deshone Kizer in the second round of the Draft.
On March 9, 2018, the Browns agreed to trade Kizer to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Damarious Randall and a swap of both fourth and fifth-round draft picks. The deal became official on March 14, 2018, at the start of the NFL year. Hue Jackson and the Browns sent Cody Kessler to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a conditional 2019 seventh round draft pick.
Quarterback Kevin Hogan was traded to the Washington Redskins, clearing the bench for Tyrod Taylor and whichever passer the team drafts. It is possible Hue Jackson passes on a quarterback with the first overall pick and grabs running back Saquon Barkley of Penn State or North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb and take whomever is still available with the fourth pick.
One thing that is evident is team general manager John Dorsey will not hint as to which way he is leaning in the draft, something Hue Jackson acknowledged with the media.
“When John Dorsey goes dark, he goes dark,” he said.
Goodbread wrote Dorsey will hold a news conference Thursday, which will mark one week before the draft begins. Although the draft is strong at the quarterback position, early selections could make quick work of the availability. The New York Giants and New York Jets, who hold the two picks between Cleveland’s two first-rounders, could take a quarterback, as well.
It has been reported the Giants are high on both Chubb and Barkley and could use the second pick on either player.